“In its ad blitz announcing the first ever Intel-based Macs, Apple skewers PCs — which happen to be Intel’s biggest customers,” Amanda Cantrell writes for CNNMoney. “While Apple is known for controversial ads, the newest spot puts Intel in a potentially uncomfortable spot. Clearly, Intel is happy that its newest customer — one that’s especially rich on cultural cachet at the moment — wants to celebrate the partnership, and gets some free advertising to boot. But the commercial also takes a swing at Intel-based PCs, which some analysts believe could alienate Intel’s other customers.”
“In the spot, an announcer intones that for years, Intel chips have been ‘trapped’ inside ‘dull little boxes, dutifully performing dull little tasks,’ and concludes with the announcement that Intel chips have finally been ‘set free, and get to live life inside a Mac,'” Cantrell writes. “But those ‘dull little boxes’ — PCs — are still Intel’s bread and butter. Intel’s number-one customer is Dell, which exclusively uses Intel chips and it does big business with other computer makers including Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo and Acer. As ‘The Critic,’ Jon Lovitz’s cranky and neurotic animated character, might have said – ‘How awkward!'”
“For its part, Dell shrugged off the ad,” Cantrell writes. “‘As far as their marketing goes, that’s marketing,’ said Dell spokesman Jess Blackburn. ‘We continue to have a very solid relationship with Intel and nothing has changed in that respect. We probably are their largest customer; we shipped 10 million systems in the fourth quarter. I don’t think any supplier is going to ignore a customer that is building that many systems and using that many of their parts in them.'”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The problem with Apple’s ad isn’t that it insults the likes of Dell, it’s that it insults the very people to whom Apple wants to sell Macs. Apple should show snippets of Mac OS X (a couple of seconds of Exposé here, a Dock ripple there, a Fast User Switching cube effect, a quick iWeb shot, etc.) to the world via their TV ads while they have a chance, before Microsoft covers the world with Windows Vista advertising. Instead, the only thing Apple does is tell people they made a stupid choice and show a blank Mac. Hopefully, the ad will drive people to their nearest Apple Retail Store, so that they can finally see Mac OS X, iLife ’06, etc.
Again, why iPods (and iTunes downloads) don’t come preloaded with THIS is beyond us. Such an omission is criminal. It’d be easily deleted, unobtrusive, and Windows-only users would be able to quickly see what they’re missing.
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Related MacDailyNews articles:
Corporate IT buyers fuming that Apple has Intel Core Duo Macs shipping while Dell and HP wait – January 12, 2006
Report: Intel didn’t know about Apple’s Intel ad calling PCs ‘dull’ until just before Jobs’ keynote – January 11, 2006
I agree with MDN – these mac ads are not so cool and realy dont point out the MAC OXS benifits.
AMEN MDN!
I think that this was part of the deal with Intel. Instead of putting the Intel stickers on the machines, Apple agreed to have their first wave of advertising to let everyone know that there is an intel inside.
Jason from Omaha,
the plural of ox is oxen not oxs.
The Apple marketing plan is one that taps into the cultural zeitgeist. It is long term, and doesn’t lend itself easily to the 30 second advertisement methodology that some days seems as though it will engulf us all.
Apple is doing something far more insidious (in a positive way if you’re pro-Apple): They are priming the pump on an entire generation. As they continue to open more Apple stores in more population centers, and as the iPod/iTunes juggernaut becomes unstoppable, everyone — from today’s tweens and teens to college students and young parents — will have almost nothing on their forward-looking radar for media and computer technology choices except Apple.
It really may not matter what Microsoft does for its advertising campaign for Vista — whenever it finally materializes. Too many people are simply not going to pay either the technology upgrade costs to run the system or the ongoing sanity tax necessary to deal with the viral infestations that will continue to plague Microsoft products.
And when you factor in the hip nature of Apple’s offerings and overall image as a positive cultural icon, unless they make a serious misstep in the next 24 months they will continue to gain both market and mindshare at an astounding pace.
In 2015, history may look back and record ‘Vista’ as Microsoft’s consumer OS swan song.
Completely dis-agree with MDN’s stance on Apple advertising..
I think the “process” approach advertising that MDN suggests is completely wrong for Apple.. The process approach is what companies like Dell and HP do. From iPods to past Mac commercials, the Apple approach to advertising has always been about selling a lifestyle.. Take for example Apple’s 1984 superbowl commercial, still recognized as the greatest commercial ever.. There was no “process” about the Mac shown, but it was an extremely effective commercial..
And BTW, the newest ad does not offend anyone, I showed it to my PC loving, Dell using brother-in-law.. he chuckled and said “good ad.”
I’ve never understood why Apple doesn’t advertise the benefits of using an Apple. Apple users know its better but the Windoze world hasn’t a clue.
http://www.g-zus.net/
Commodity makers use ‘How To” commercials and quite frankly, people don’t pay any attention to them..
I can’t tell you how many Dell and Microsoft commercials I have seen that show me how to do something, I forget it within 10 seconds.. The Apple ad, like it or not is memorable and arouses curiosity.. It does it’s job very effectively…
Agree with MDN — Apple’s new Intel ads are HORRIBLE! AWFUL! THE WORST EVER!
The problem with this stupid idea that you need to show OS X in action is that nobody wants to watch a commercial of a friggin operating system in action. How boring.
They don’t sell 50 gozillion iPods by showing you how easy the interface is. They show people having fun with them. It’s quite easy to show people jamming on their iPods, it’s entirely different to show them jamming with iPhoto. You sit people down in front of a TV and show fast user switching and Spotlight and Dashboard and Dock Animation and they’re going to wonder what the fuck is going on, not how they can get their hands on what they’re seeing.
I swear you people act like Apple must not have ever thought of this in the 5 years OS X has been out. Of course they have and I’d venture to guess they floated some of these spots in front of test audiences. But such things are boring, and a waste of advertising revenue.
Agree Cpt. Obvious,
Apple are marketing geniuses, they know what they are doing when it comes to presenting themselves to the masses..
Look at the state of Apple right now.. They are seen as the coolest tech company around.. And yes, they created this image for themselves by marketing correctly..
MDN’s take is definitely wrong.. I mean look at the way this site looks… it’s pretty bad, I wouldn’t exactly say MDN are masters of presentation..
…… on the other hand Mikie Dell said using AMD chips was possible!!!! Hmmmmm…….
C’mon and get a clue guys. These TV commercials aren’t designed to appeal to geeks that read tech message boards.
Has anyone ever taken the time to notice that the iPod TV ads never show the iPod’s OS in action? That hasn’t seemed to have hurt their sales though has it? Besides, there is nothing they can show in 30 seconds on TV that would do OS X justice anyway. What you guys seem to want is an infomercial, not a TV commercial. There is a big difference there.
It’s pointless to continue to bitch about something like a stupid TV ad. Commercials are nothing more than short attention span theatre anyway.
I would like to add I find it particularly ironic that MDN feels they can critique people on their advertising when I look at this site and it’s advertising execution.
Hey, that’s what I said Captain…
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I’d also like to add Mike beat me to it!
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I want a 60 second commercial with PowerPoint bullets showing all the things OS X does that Windows doesn’t.
That’d be the best commercial ever.
Frankly, i think Apple’s ads are a waste of money. But i’m not sure what they can do in 30 seconds, so who knows?
But i do think they ought to be pre-loading something informative about Mac OS X onto G5 iPods.
Ride the rainbow, Apple.
first time ever, lol.
So funny how MDN keeps instructing Apple in advertising and marketing. I do hope Apple will follow the MDN’s lead and implement as many popup ads on apple.com as possible ahahhahahahaha
Just like always – When Apple actually has an ad campaign for their computer lines, they tend to be empty-headed and adolescent. I don’t know why they don’t just come out with good solid ads educating the public about real alternatives to Windoze, and a good all around personal computing experience; but no, Apple comes out of the dark sticking its tongue out at the hardware competition, when what Apple really needs to beat is not the Dells from Hell, but Windoze.
Sadly proving, once again, that Apple has no clue how to position their computer products – I really just don’t get it.
Bad ad!
It’s like Apple’s being as bad as the people here who flame Windows writers!
I would love to see a split screen ad for the mac. One side would have someone sitting at an iMac and the other side someone sitting at a PC. Show each person doing the same task such as creating a movie or DVD. Now show the windows person fighting with their computer in various ways. Then, show the mac guy going WOW and smiling. At the end of the commercial show the PC with the Blue screen of death and the mac guy showing his movie/DVD to his loved ones. The mac guys getting smiles and hugs from his family. The final shot should be a clever tag line. It would really put the emphasis how much easier it is to do things on the mac. I think many people would identify with the windows side and really begin to wonder if things could be that great on the mac. If nothing else it would plant the seed of “maybe I should give the mac another look” in their minds. Just a thought
The MDN take is wrong. Expose/OS X is not the way. iLife is the way.
First, I like the Apple ad. A good number of PC users are already frustrated and upset with their PCs, mostly because of security but also a bunch of other things. Bitchin’ and moanin’ about using computers is what people are likely to do.
The Apple ad is just saying that they are okay to feel that way but that something better is finally here. The Apple ad validates their feelings and invites them over, for the frustrated are the most likely switchers anyway.
If I were to do an Apple ad, I’d do one with a dad/mom leaving on a business trip and leaving a precious spouse and 4-year old child. Then on the plane (or in the hotel), he/she would flip open the Book, and iChat/iSight back home to the iMac and the very happy-to-talk-to-him/her family.
Or I’d do the grandparents visiting the grandchildren and then tearfully leaving. Then show the parents/teen using iWeb on an iMac to easily set up the photo subscription. And then the grandparents automatically getting iPhoto updates on their iMac (or even on a Book).
I figured one of the main points of the “dull little boxes” ads was not just the swipe at pc’s but instead a visual association of Apple with High Tech and new frontiers/space exploration.